


promise that i'll meet you halfway

by lco123



Series: Isn't It Just So Pretty-verse [2]
Category: Teenage Bounty Hunters (TV)
Genre: Drabble and a Half, F/F, Post-Canon, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-12
Updated: 2021-01-12
Packaged: 2021-03-16 08:01:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,376
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28703301
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lco123/pseuds/lco123
Summary: “Sometimes people push too fast, y’know? They’re not patient.”“Patience is hard.”“Yeah. But I think it’s so worth it in the end.”A snapshot of the summer before Sterling and April get together.
Relationships: April Stevens/Sterling Wesley
Series: Isn't It Just So Pretty-verse [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2038650
Comments: 14
Kudos: 77





	promise that i'll meet you halfway

**Author's Note:**

> I'm technically not really supposed to be writing, since I'm still recovering from this concussion. But this drabble wouldn't leave me alone, and at a certain point I think it's harder on my brain to not just write a little bit. So, here we go... possibly more to come! Also, this is pretty hastily written!
> 
> This will probably make sense if you haven't read the other fics in this series, but they'll likely add some context (plus the gratification of Stepril actually being together).

It’s easier than it probably should be, hanging out with April as a friend.

Sterling honestly thought that they’d never get back here after the fallout from the junior year lock-in and John Stevens’s grand reveal of his captors. April all but ignored her for the rest of their high school career, even going so far as to add insult to injury by dating Luke for a month, and by graduation Sterling had almost accepted that all was lost.

And then she went off to college—to Stanford, the _West Coast_ , of all places—and she assumed the memories of April’s lopsided smile and shiny hair would fade, but they just…didn’t. They stuck around, even through Sterling’s first sort-of-relationship with another girl.

When they were both home at Christmas, Sterling came up to April after the church nativity play, unwilling to let the animosity fester any longer, and started babbling about forgiveness and fresh starts. And April surely has a black belt in holding grudges, but maybe she knew that the only way to get Sterling to shut up was to agree to said fresh start, because she just murmured, “Okay.”

“Okay?” Sterling blinked back at her.

And April nodded, actively not smiling, before saying, “We don’t have to expend any more energy hating each other.”

Sterling felt her expression go soft as she replied, “Wow, that’s practically a marriage proposal,” before quickly adding, “And FYI, I never hated you."

And then April was stiffly walking away, and Sterling was trying not to die over the fact that some of the first words she’d said to April in practically a year were _marriage proposal._

Sterling wasted no time in resuming their texting relationship, sharing a picture from an art show her first week back at Stanford, and April made a crack about Sterling turning into even more of a hippie now that she lives on the West Coast, and from then on it was almost comfortable.

Now it’s the summer after freshman year, and Sterling spends more days than not with April. Blair is bounty hunting for the both of them—legally, finally; she opted to get her license at eighteen while Sterling decided to permanently retire. This means that Blair’s time has mostly been occupied with catching skips, leaving Sterling to her own devices. One day April invites her over, and it sort of becomes a thing.

They’ll drive around to museums and coffee shops, go to foreign movies and even the occasional poetry reading. Mrs. Stevens is gone for most of the summer—Sterling wonders why on earth she’d spend her daughter’s first summer home from college away from her more than not, but she doesn’t verbalize that question—so they often have the house to themselves. April teaches Sterling how to make crêpes, and Sterling teaches April how to make her and Blair’s should-be-patented brownie-Oreo-ice-cream-soup (which April deems disgusting but proceeds to eat two-thirds of).

It’s nice. Better than nice. They’re actual friends. And yes, Sterling becomes convinced with every passing day that she’s probably more than a little in love with April, which she hasn’t voiced to anyone, not even Blair (not that it makes a difference; Blair makes plenty of lewd remarks and hand gestures every time Sterling returns home from a day spent with April), but for right now she’s not going to push it. They’re finally in a good place, and she’s not about to take that for granted.

Today, it’s too hot to do much of anything, so the two of them sit inside the air-conditioned Stevens house reading. They’ve been doing a two person book club thing this summer, a project which Blair refers to as “the ultimate nerd foreplay.” This week’s book is _The Handmaid’s Tale_ , and Sterling is equal parts horrified and engrossed.

“This is way better than the Hulu show,” she comments periodically. “And also super chilling.”

They’ve been reading in silence for a while, Sterling stretched out on the couch, April curled up in an armchair. Sterling likes sharing this quiet time with April. She’s never really had that with anyone, not even Blair. Obviously Sterling loves Blair more than anyone or anything, but their time together is marked by excitement and energy. Sitting in comfortable silence with another person is unexpectedly pleasant.

April rises to her feet with a loud exhale. Sterling looks up at her, reminding herself to keep her eyes on April’s face rather than her bare legs.

“I need a break,” April announces.

“Understandable.”

“Want a snack?”

Sterling grins. “Yes, please. I can help…?”

April waves her off. “No, you stay comfy. I’ll be back in a few.”

April’s been doing that lately, these tiny acts of kindness that border on chivalry. Always holding doors open for Sterling, insisting on paying for their coffees, letting Sterling control the music whenever they drive somewhere. It’s surprisingly sweet, and Sterling kinda loves it.

Sterling turns back to her book, reading for a few more minutes when she feels a soft weight next to her. Sergeant Bilko has climbed onto the couch, nuzzling against her thigh. She runs her fingers lightly over his silky fur, and he starts purring, low and rumbly. Sterling smiles a little, grateful for the comfort of a soft animal as she encounters a particularly upsetting part of the book.

She’s not sure how long she sits there like that, absently petting Sergeant Bilko, before she hears April say, “Careful.”

Sterling looks up, confused. “What?”

April sets down the tray of snacks: carrot sticks, pita chips and hummus (presumably for her) and potato chips and caramelized onion dip (presumably for Sterling). Sterling grins at the spread.

“Bilko,” April continues. “He can turn on you.”

Sterling frowns down at the cat, who’s currently showing her his black tummy and kneading the air with his paws. “He looks pretty happy.”

“Just you wait.” April snags a carrot stick out of the bowl and takes a bite. “My dad has a three-inch scar on his forearm from a Bilko attack.”

“Well, cats are excellent judges of character.” No sooner has the statement slipped from her lips than Sterling freezes. Pointedly, neither one of them have mentioned April’s dad all summer, the memory of his big reveal still fresh and painful. “I’m sorry, I—”

April shakes her head. “I brought him up. And, well.” She sighs. “You’re not wrong.”

April doesn’t seem to want to dwell on that so Sterling turns her attention back to the cat, snatching her hand away from his belly just as he starts to put his claws out. His eyes open wide, looking startled and maybe a little disappointed that his planned attack was foiled.

“Ha!” Sterling giggles smugly. “Not today, buddy!”

April laughs. “Impressive reflexes. I’m amazed he let you get that close in the first place.”

“He came to me," Sterling says with pride.

April tucks her legs back under her in the chair. “Really?”

“Like I said: excellent judges of character.” Sterling shrugs. “But really, cats aren’t all that complicated. You just have to give them space to come to you. Not push too hard.” She looks back at April, holding her gaze steadily. “Let them know that you’re there for them, whenever they’re ready for you.”

April’s eyes darken a little. “Is that so?”

Sterling takes a deep breath. She knows she might be breaking their unspoken pact by dipping her toe into the pond they’ve both been carefully dancing around all summer. But she finds she can’t stop herself. “Sometimes people push too fast, y’know? They’re not patient.”

“Patience is hard.”

“Yeah. But I think it’s so worth it in the end.”

April swallows audibly, never breaking Sterling’s gaze. They’re across the room from each other in the thankfully cool Stevens house, but Sterling feels heat between them, the warm pulse that’s always been there, if she’s being honest with herself. This thing between them crackles, alive and a little dangerous.

April is the first to look away. Maybe she’s not ready yet, but that’s okay. Sterling understands now that she’s capable of waiting.

Sergeant Bilko stays by Sterling’s side for the rest of the afternoon, and every time Sterling glances up, April is trying not to smile at the sight.


End file.
